Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Social Networking

We're in the process of creating a new web site for the residential side of our business, plus we just wanted to amp up our web presence in general, so Blackrock is now on Facebook and Twitter. So if you're on either network, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, and help us promote what will become a growing and recognizable brand.

We're currently building a new home at 2346 Turk Road, Doylestown, and this should be the jumping off point for more residential work in the future, centered around the Bucks County and main line area. John used to build houses in these areas before, so he has an impressive portfolio of work to look at. We've already been getting phone calls from curious neighbors who've seen the phone number on the Blackrock trucks parked outside the site and want the house for themselves.

The residential web site should be launched within the next week or two, and then we'll be redoing the current web site, the one focused on our commercial work.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Doug Hitchner stars in "Crown Street: The Movie"

So they may have misspelled his name, but the people of New Haven were so stoked about the historic renovation of Crown Street that the New Haven Register wrote a story about it and even made a video featuring a soundbite by your favorite project manager, Doug Hitchner.



These buildings were built back from 1875 to 1910, and Blackrock, along with PMC, brought them back "from the bring of destruction," according to the president of The New Haven Preservation Trust. We restored the original flooring, some beams and installed reproductions of the original unique windows in four buildings on lower Crown Street. A thrilled New Haven local history buff even wrote an editorial to the register praising PMC for saving bringing these buildings back to life.

The buildings, which have been merged into one property now addressed as 38 Crown Street, have commercial space on the first floor and 65 apartments on the top three floors.

To see what Crown Street looked like when we first got there, check back to this earlier post.

Baltimore MD

"Scope?" I asked.
"Fix it".... The owner told me.
Charles St. was one of those jobs you do, not expending much. Over the years I was told nightmare stories about working in Baltimore. Someone even said before I started the job "to watch my back" ...?? If I’m asked to do a job, I have every reason to be worried... Owners tend to call the buildings there technically death traps. But after doing this for so long, I’m shocked if a "building" is still standing by the time we start work. We pride ourselves on doing the impossible, with an impossible deadline.
March 2011= condemned building
August 2011= 30 apartments C.O.ed.....

Maybe I’m crazy, but Baltimore is now like I’m home away from home. Construction is a crazy business and I believe it’s all what you make of it. I’m blessed to not only be able to build great buildings, but also great friendships. I’m very thankful for our clients (who somehow become our friends). For every opportunity and challenge they give us.